Bizet

When your reputation as a classical composer is reduced to one piece lets hope it as passionate & memorable as Georges Bizet’s Carmen. Opera was not high on my musical like list until I hit 50. I was saving it for my ‘old age’ but decided not to wait that long 🙂 I had a few pieces already but I think Carmen was the first complete opera recording I bought.

I found a 3 cd box set of Carmen at a yard sale in the mid-90’s. I was familiar with the orchestral suites & was ready for the whole thing. I’d seen a TV broadcast a few months before I bought this & was happy to find it so cheaply. When I did the Lp to cd transfer this was a 2 cd set but is now part of an MP3 collection. This recoding featured Kiri Te Kanawa, & Placid Domingo.

I bumped it to an MP3 collection after watching Humoresque in whichJohn Garfield’s violinist mimes a Carmen suite that was arranged by Isaac Stern – close-ups of Stern’s hands playing the violin. I found that recording on iTunes. One of times in which Hollywood did classical music properly. I still find it odd that a French composer wrote this famed Spanish opera!

To round out the MP3 collection I added some Mussorgsky solo piano music & an amazing organ version of Pictures at an Exhibition by Hansjorg Albrecht. Pictures is a concert warhorse & I have multiple takes on it rock, jazz, electronica, orchestra, solo piano. Another composed who relied on folk melody & whimsy. More about Mussorgsky when I get to ‘m’.

One day in the car I heard Bizet’s Symphony in C. Who knew he’d written anything other than Carmen? So in April04 I picked up a double cd set that includes that Symphony and other orchestral works. All delights but none as passionate as Carmen. He uses sweet folk melodies in all his work which makes it approachable and ear-friendly. Now thanks to the Met his opera The Pearl Fishermen is back in the spotlight. He’s no longer a one-hit wonder.

Slime Time

‘I want some.’

‘You’ll get some. Just wait a minute will you.’

‘No. I want my share now.’

‘I said wait a minute. I can’t do two things at once.’

‘That’s because you’re stupid, stupid, stupid.’

‘You keep that up and you won’t be getting ay at all.’

‘You said I could have my share and I want my share. I want it now.’

‘Here.’

The bowl slid along the stainless steel counter.

‘This isn’t enough.’

‘It’s as much as any of us are getting.’

‘You got more. I can tell you got more. You always get the most because you are selfish and stupid.’

‘Are you going to eat that or will I give it to Billy?’

‘That’s mine and no else is getting it. It just doesn’t seem fair you should get more than I do.’

‘We each have the same amount.’

‘Liar liar pants on fire. You got more. Even Billy gets more than me. All the time. I can see that with my own two eyes. I can see it. You HEAR ME.’

‘Yes, I can hear you. Now eat that before it melts.’

‘I like when it melts.’

‘No you don’t. Now eat it.’

‘Who’s going to make me.’

‘No one, but if you waste it don’t complain about how little you get. We can’t afford to waste around here.’

‘Since when? You are the biggest waste of breath that walked the face of the earth.’

‘Thank you for that sweet remark. Hmmm this is delicious. Very tasty. I love chocolate. Don’t you Billy.’

‘Yummmy.’

‘Billy can’t taste! You should know that by now but then you are stupid. So stupid.’

‘I too can taste things.’

‘Oh no you can’t. You aren’t even human.’

The wooden spoon struck hard.

‘Ouch. Why did you do that? It’s the truth isn’t it?’

‘It just isn’t polite dear. Now eat or …’

The spoon hovered.

‘I’m eating. Stupid stupid stupid.’

‘What was that dear? You shouldn’t talk with your mouthful.’

‘I said is good good good.’

‘Yummmy. More?’

‘Sorry Billy that’s all there is. Unless …’

‘No he’s not having any of my share. He’s not. I’m finishing it all. Look I’ll even lick the plate. See. All gone.’

‘Such a sweet child.’

‘Can I go out an play now?’

‘Only if you take Billy with you.’

‘No no no. He’s so slow. Those whatever they are can barely move. What are they feet? Tentacles.’

‘So-peds.’

‘I wasn’t talking to you Billy. I hate it when he talks to me. I hate it. Can’t I go out and play by myself for a change. Please?’

‘No you can’t. You know it is our duty to teach others about our planet. It isn’t that bad is it?’

‘It’s horrible. Why couldn’t we get something that could at least move.’

‘I can move.’

‘No you can’t. You just slurp along behind me. Why don’t you have wings or something. Khrista’s family has a Flyer. We get stuck with a slime creature and I hate him. I hate him.’